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The top-flight leagues in England, Italy and Spain remain determined to keep playing, and Germany's Bundesliga will become the first major league to resume this weekend.

But Ligue 1 was curtailed in April, with Paris Saint-Germain declared as champions and the standings after all but two teams had played 28 rounds of matches used to determine European places.

That left Lyon down in seventh following their below-par campaign, meaning that Les Gones have missed out on European qualification for the first time since 1997.

Houllier was at Liverpool between 1998 and 2004 (Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

Houllier - who managed Lyon between 2005 and 2007 prior to a spell at Aston Vila, and now works as an advisor to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas - thinks the decision was reached because Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, in second, worked together to influence the authorities.

"There is an axis between OM and PSG and it hit hard,” Houllier told OLTV, via Goal.com.

“There was an alliance made with arrangements between friends and I think above all it was a plot, a plan to eliminate Lyon.

“It will be covered up because I think the French state is involved. I followed all the press conferences by [President] Emmanuel Macron and [Prime Minister] Edouard Philippe, and they never talked about sport.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has also spoken out on the decision (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

“And just by chance, at the end, it’s said that Ligue 1 will not be able to resume. It was the first time they talked about sports. I found it a bit weird.”

Houllier added that the season should have been voided completely if it couldn't be finished.

“I found this very unfair,” he said.

“A championship does not stop on the third, 19th or 28th day. We go to the end, otherwise we consider it to be null and void.”